Fireproof cabinet



H. R. IMHOFF.

FIVHEPROOF CABINET.

APPLICATION pun APR. 5 1920.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI l- WITH E8358 R. R. IMHOFF.

FIREPROOF CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, I920. 14 362,4LQL Patented Dec. 14, I9 0.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

UNITE STATES ATEN'E FFICE.

FIREPBOOF CABINET.

Application filed April 5, 1920.

of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Fireproof Cabinet, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to fireproof cabinets and has particular reference to devices of this nature that are intended primarily, though not entirely, for the storage of inflammable materials such as sheets of celluloid or the like.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a cabinet for use in a shop, workroom or elsewhere in which sheets of celluloid may be kept in stock to be used from at any time night or day, the arrangement being such that access is to be had to the sheets in such a manner that the sheets will be guarded from fire or other damaging conditions at all times except when the work man or operator is in the act of withdrawing a sheet or more from the cabinet, or introducing sheets into the cabinet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fireproof cabinet with double walls and intervening air space to reduce the liability of ignition of any inflammable mate rial within the cabinet, by reason of fire or flame on the outside of the cabinet or spread of flames from within.

A still further object is to provide in connection with a fireproof cabinet of the nature set forth, an automatic sprinkler apparatus so designed that an increase of temperature within the cabinet that would tend to ignite the inflammable contents thereof will act to initiate the operation of the sprinkler prior to the ignition of the materials.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrange ment and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested therein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portable Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14., 1920.

Serial No. 371,453.

1(zzabinet made in accordance with this inven- Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same on the line 22, but on a larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. a.

F 1g. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section of a modification.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings I show a cabinet 10 supported upon legs 11 and hence of a portable nature, but while 1 indicate my device as portable it is to be distinctly understood that it may be built in or as a part of a wall, partition, or other fixed structure. As shown herein the cabinet is of a generally rectangular construction having a bottom 12, front and rear sides 13 and 14-, ends 15 and a gable shaped roof 16. I wish it to be distinctly understood, however, that I do not intend to be limited in the interpretation of this specification to any particular size, proportions or designs of the cabinet structure except as may be required by the state of the art. All of the parts 12 to 16 just referred to are made with double walls, an inner wall 17 and an outer wall 18, with an intervening air space 19. The cabinet parts are preferably made of sheet steel or other suitable rigid durable and preferably fireproof material with all joints suitably welded, lap riveted, or otherwise rigidly and permanently secured to one another. The joint portions or any other parts of the structure may be provided with angle members 20 to stiffen the same.

Within the cabinet are housed one or more movable containers, such as drawers 21, having secured thereto on the front face pulls 22 of any suitable nature for the purpose of drawing them out. As shown in Fig. 3 the drawers are inclined downward and rearward so as to be self-closing by gravity, and to facilitate this action each drawer is supported anti-frictionally upon anti-friction rollers 23 shown in the form of cylinders ournaled to rotate around fixed bearings in channel members 24: attached to the inner walls 17 of the ends of the cabinet. The rear lower end of each drawer is adapted to impinge against a resilient stop or buffer 25 to prevent unnecessary noise or shock. At-

tached to the rear end of each drawer is a rigid stop 26 which is adapted to impinge against a stationary stop 27 suitably located to prevent any drawer from being drawn out so far as to spill its contents upon the floor or interfere with its automatic return to normal closed position. Any suitable fastening or locking means may be provided to secure the drawers closed. To this end I show a snap latch 28 connected to each drawer, and also a three-way bolt lock 29 having a knob 30 for releasing it. As shown two of the bolts lock the side portions of the drawer to the adjacent stationary walls, and the remaining bolt coiiperates with the stationary wall structure above or beneath the front portion of the drawer.

As above indicated the cabinet is intended to resist the effect of any ordinary heat on the outside thereof because of the double wall and air spaceconstruction, but if the contents of any of the compartments or containers 21 should become ignited, as from spontaneous combustion or otherwise, I provide automatic means for extinguishing the flames before serious damage could result. To this end I indicate a water pipe 31 leading into the upper part of the cabinet from any suitable source and through any specific or desired portion of the roof structure. Attached to the pipe is at least one automatic sprinkler head 32 of any conventional or approved construction, but adapted to collapse and deliver the water from the pipe when the atmosphere within the cabinet reaches 165 F. or thereabout, a temperature too low ordinarily to cause ignition of the material within the cabinet. 33 indicates a ventilator built in the roof structure 16 and fixed permanently to the cabinet. The water sprinkler device is indicated as being extended through one wall of the ventilator and thence downward centrally through the ventilator opening in the roof. With the containers arranged in tiers one above another I provide just beneath any upper one a splash plate 34 so arranged that the water from the sprinkler will be prevented from following the walls of the cabinet and so not reach the interior of any lower container. Of course the water will be delivered directly into the uppermost container in all cases and the overflow from an upper container will always be delivered, at least in part, upon the splash plate and will so be directed into the next lower container. A draw off vent 35 may be provided at any desired portion of the bottom 12 to deliver the water from the interior of the cabinet after a fire has occurred and the apparatus is to be restored to normal condition.

The principal feature of the modified form of Fig. 5 is the provision of a hinged door 36 mounted to swing forward and upward.

around a horizontal axis 37 above the drawers 21, which in this instance are indicated as being arranged horizontal but otherwise of the same construction as has been described in detail above. In this form of the invention the drawers may not be selfclosing, but the door 36 is self-closing and hence will act either to cause the drawers to close or to remind the operator that he must push the drawers back into place before leaving the cabinet so that the cabinet in all cases will never be left open or exposed to outside influences such as fire, dirt, dust, smoke, or the like.

For each container 21 is fixed a guard member 38 in the nature of a strong open mesh screen of wire or its equivalent, stretched tightly and attached permanently at its edges to the inner wall or shell 17.

It will be understood that any suitable extension may be provided from the vent 33 to lead upward, laterally, or otherwise to the exterior of the building so that the gases or flame generated within the cabinet will be properly disposed of. Otherwise the inner shell 17 is imperforate, except as noted herein. 7

As plainly indicated in Fig. 3 the front ends of the drawers are provided with double walls and air spaces so that they as well as the stationary portions of the cabinet are fireproof. The upper and lower edge of the front of each drawer is offset at 39 for cooperation with correspondingly rabbeted portions 40 of the cabinet. Thus a sort of labyrinth is provided which makes it practically impossible for any heat or products of combustion to pass through in either direction. At the upper edge of the rear end of each drawer or container is a flange or angle structure 41 serving to more effectively retain the contents of the drawers in place, preventing bulging or buckling which might otherwise result from the automatic gravity closing of the drawers. The device is of a relatively simple and cheap construction and is peculiarly well suited for the purposes set forth. The sloping or gable form of the roof 16 is calculated to prevent the lounging of persons upon the cabinet or the storing of commodities thereon, either of which circumstances might tend to interfere with the construction, and especially the sprinkler feature. In this connection it will be noted that the sprinkler head 32, being located in the path of the products of combustion from the interior of the cabinet,

will be most quickly affected by the heat and because the ventilator and sprinkler are arranged centrally of the roof the sprinkling of water from the sprinkler will be distributed in the best possible manner.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising an outer receptacle, an inner receptacle conforming in shape to the outer receptacle and of smaller dimensions to provide a space between said receptacles, a ventilator for the inner receptacle, said ventilator extending through the outer receptacle, a plurality of drawer supports carried by the inner receptacle, drawers slidably mounted on each of said supports, said drawers sliding through both said inner and outer receptacles, and means for closing the openings through which said drawers slide.

2. A device of the character described comprising an outer receptacle, an inner receptacle spaced with respect to the outer receptacle, a plurality of drawers slidably mounted within said inner receptacle and extending through the outer receptacle, means for closing the drawer openings in the outer receptacle, and screen guards carried by the inner receptacle and adapted to overlie each of said drawers.

8. A device of the character described comprising an outer receptacle, an inner receptacle conforming in shape thereto and mounted within the outer receptacle in spaced relation therewith, a plurality of drawers slidably mounted within said inner receptacle and adapted to pass through openings in the outer receptacle, means for closing the drawer openings in the outer receptacle, and guards carried by the inner receptacle and projecting over the ends of said drawers, substantially as described.

RALPH R. IMHOFF. 

